


this might sound weird but i like you

by spocklee



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 19:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4404575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spocklee/pseuds/spocklee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako and Wu after Kuvira, figuring stuff out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't believe i went from hating these characters to hoping that they spend a peaceful domestic life together. i wrote this a few months ago and then just never posted it. so much thanks to someone for patiently reading every single draft of this that i sent them.

Mako looked over his pile of paperwork one day, saw Wu clipping his nails on the armchair in the apartment they shared in Republic City, and calmly and curiously felt surprise that his reaction of loathing was outweighed by a warm weight in his stomach. Fondness. 

 

"Wu. Dude, that's gross. Do it in the bathroom."

 

It was still disgusting.

 

***

 

It had been two months since Wu had given up the monarchy. Assets had been disassembled. Material possessions- land, summer houses, islands, clothes, jewels- had been sold or donated, after a lot of snot nosed crying. The Earth Republic's new parliamentary treasury was already comfortably full from these sales, and reconstruction and aid had started as soon as possible for those who'd been in the way of Kuvira. Wu had attended, with surprising and temporary grace and silence, the official government memorial of those lost.

 

He had still needed a bodyguard. It had become less of a joke now that he'd begun attending discussions with provincial leaders for restructuring the country, had been giving speeches that declared his full support of ending the monarchy, and arranging tense meetings with family members who'd lost their titles with Wu's own abdication. There was still the occasional shopping spree, but he could only fit so many things in the small apartment they'd rented in a district near Yue Bay. Wu and his family received a pension in exchange for his support and involvement with the Republic, and while it was enough, it was obviously no longer a king's salary. He'd let go of the extreme end of decadence with all the hysteric abruptness of ripping off a band-aid. 

 

When Chief Bei Fong had told Mako that he could return to the police force, despite Wu's glowing recommendation that he continue his service as a bodyguard, Mako had told her not to worry about it. He'd done the job for years already; he'd might as well see it to the end.

 

He had then apologized for his phrasing, and clarified that by 'the end' he meant until someone better was found to do the job, and not 'until Wu finally gets assassinated despite my best efforts'.

 

***

Bolin had joined them in their outing to the zoo in Ba Sing Se; he'd been visiting the family at the same time that Wu was on official business involving the palace. It was a pleasant enough day, with leftover clouds from the previous night of rain and a gentle dampness on the grass. The air smelled clear. Construction work could be heard in the property nearby where an office building had been damaged.

 

Wu bought an overpriced juice, asked Bolin a lot of poorly veiled questions about how to make it in the mover business, then ran off to give them 'well deserved bro-time'. He left Bolin and Mako on a wooden bridge that crossed over the zoo's river, which was deep enough that koi could be seen swimming under their feet. Mako remembered something a sign at the front had said; Avatar Aang had built the zoo in a day when he was still learning earth-bending, in perhaps under an hour. He could only have been twelve or thirteen at the time, and the zoo was still operational decades later. It was enough to make Mako feel a little underdone now that he was 22 years old.

 

"Wu's quite a character! I'm, uh, surprised you've been able to keep up with him for so many years," Bolin was trying and failing to hide his surprise that Mako had not set Wu on fire yet. Mako just exhaled and forgot about the shame of being outdone by a preteen a century ago; the fact that he and Bolin were still around after all they'd been through was something to take pride in. It was a truth he'd taken comfort in since they were children. 

 

"Wu's okay."

 

"Ah, really? I mean, he just doesn't seem… like your type."

 

Mako loved Bolin, he really did, but he could feel a discussion coming that he didn't want to have, "What do you mean 'my type?'"

 

Bolin waved off any suspicion with moving hands and a pitched voice, "No offense towards you! He just seems a bit grating, you know? Which is fine! Just not something I've ever really imagined you voluntarily dealing with day to day."

 

Mako shrugged while keeping his eyes on the former prince, who was lounging at the side of the riverbank several yards away, "It's my job. And he's not so bad once you get to know him."

 

"Huh… so you've been… getting to know him?" There it was. Mako whipped around to look at Bolin.

 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

 

"Okay, first of all, chill. It's okay to be gay, fly to be bi, you're the man if you're pan. Secondly, I guess it means, does this guy make you happy?"

 

"I mean I- What? I guess?"

 

"You guess? Mako. Bro. Real talk, yes or no, do you feel the emotion 'happiness' around him?"

 

Mako thought about it. Wu was annoying, self-absorbed, and from a completely different world than him. There were the little surprises that caught him off guard though, that were happening more and more since Kuvira. Wu was sweet to hotel staff, to waiters, to Mako's grandmother. None of it seemed insincere or scheming. Wu liked to smell nice, and joke with workers at the counters about what cologne he should use on Mondays. They weren't great jokes but the workers laughed, not out of pity or royal deference anymore but because Wu just seemed happy to talk to them. He didn't bother girls these days- on several occasions since the war, he and Mako had criticized each other over the way they'd treated women. These occasions usually involved  a lot of yelling and appalled gasps, but arguably also improvement. Wu grieved for his lost luxuries less and less. Mako scowled only half as much as he used to. It was strange to think that maybe they were both better people for having known each other. 

 

"I guess… I feel a lot of things around him. He worries me, he embarrasses me, he trusts me… it's hard to say."

 

"He worries you?"

 

"Well yeah, he's constantly putting himself in danger and he's been kidnapped once before and if anything happened to him-"

 

"You wouldn't be able to forgive yourself."

 

Mako inhaled deeply, because it was a scary thing to hear out loud, "Yeah. And not just because the Chief would kill me." 

 

Bolin just threw his arms out wide in a grand gesture, "Mako! This is a great breakthrough! You should tell him how you feel!"

 

"How do I feel?"

 

"Bro."

 

"What? I really don't know," Mako turned away from him and folded his arms on the railing of the bridge, "I feel a lot of things. I don't really know where to go from there. I met Asami when she hit me with her bike, and Korra just kissed me while I was still with Asami-"

 

"Whoa, let's just hope that disaster doesn't play out again. Look. Just. Look at Wu, right now. What do you feel when you look at him?"

 

Mako turned his head back to look at Wu, who was now singing to a flock of turtle ducklings floating on the river's surface. Mako half expected the mother to attack him, but she just swam up to Wu and gave him a passive quack. He responded by bowing to her, as professionally as he would to any puffed up diplomat or former royal. 

 

Mako kind of hated himself for smiling fondly at it all, but not as much as he would have a few years ago.

 

"I feel happy."

 

"Then just tell him that."

 

"It's kind of grossing me out."

 

"Maybe don't tell him that."

 

"You're right. Thanks."

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do you ever think that bolin gets so into gesturing with his hands while he talks that he accidentally earthbends while doing so and doesn't realize until there's like a giant fissure behind him


	2. Chapter 2

The tram ride back was quiet other than Wu's chatter. Passenger faces, tired from a day of work and travel, were tinted orange by the sun setting over the wall. Mako listened to Wu drone on about club districts they passed while thinking over what Bolin had said. 

 

He wasn't bothered by the idea of having feelings for another guy. That was a side of himself that had been accepted and catalogued long ago, along with feelings for anyone in general, as a luxury that would not get him or his brother off the streets. What bothered him was that the idea of having feelings for Wu.

 

"Mako? Mako are you listening?" 

 

"Hm? Yeah, something about a tea shop-"

 

"We have to go before leaving! You need a reservation because it's so famous, but trust me, Iroh trained the master's father himself. It is. Amazing."

 

Mako sighed. Wu's face was glowing and it had been a good day, confusing and surfacing thoughts aside. By the time they were back at their temporary lodgings in the palace, there were a few stars out and the streetlights were turning on. 

 

Mako dragged the telephone outside their small townhouse and made a reservation for a table for two at the Jasmine Dragon, shivering a little in the cold. He resisted arguing with the pretentious host on the other end of the line. He hung up and put the phone back as quietly as he could in the dark living room while Wu slept.

***

 

Their reservation was outside, on the outskirts of the restaurant and in one of the more recent additions to the property. There must have been at least one hundred tables alone on the west balcony, and their waiter led them through a sea of shifting chairs and trays to their place at the very edge of the railing. Wu smiled at their waiter and nodded pleasantly, only to slam his menu down on the table as soon as the man had left.

 

"Mako! Do you know where we are?"

 

"At… that tea shop you like?"

 

Wu whispered as loudly as possible, "No! Yes! What I mean is, Avatar Aang supposedly kissed the famous Katara on a balcony overlooking the city at this very place! How romantic!"

 

Mako ruined the idea without even thinking, "I don't think so. They only built this part of the restaurant a few years ago," he twisted in his seat and searched for a moment before pointing, "There. That's probably the balcony where they kissed."

 

At a small balcony near the actual restaurant, far from where they were sitting, was a single table with a conspicuously large trellis of roses and bright lights over it. A large sign that said 'MAY YOU BE BLESSED BY THE AVATAR'S LOVE' hung over a couple sitting at the table, their faces obscured by jewelry and broad rimmed hats. Clearly some inner ring honeymooners.  Wu looked disappointed for a moment but shrugged with good grace.

 

"Ah, good for them."

 

"Sorry. I didn't know you were so into history or I would have tried to get it."

 

Wu made a choking sound into his water, "History? Please. The only history I ever enjoyed was the real gossipy stuff. Did you know there's a rumor that former Fire Lord Zuko dated a young woman in the lower rings during his exile?"

 

Wu went off into an explanation that sounded more like a romance novel than fact, but Mako found himself leaning closer to listen. When Wu explained how Fire Lord Zuko, who at the time had been a young and handsome prince, had lit up the fountain at great risk to himself for the sake of the gentle Earth Kingdom girl, Mako coughed. His face had started turning red. Wu had ignored him and just swooned and looked out over the view, his elbow resting on the balcony and his head resting against his hand. 

 

"It really is a beautiful city. There are so many things happening everywhere and you wouldn't even know it, you know? I wish I had seen more of it while I was here."

 

Mako straightened his back and looked out over the city with him. The moon hung over the the outer wall, which was lit along the top by lamps. From their distance, they flickered like faint stars. The great wall towered over the lower ring, which despite its poverty was still alive with the lights and movements of its inhabitants. Mako thought of his family- his cousin, his grandmother, and his brother currently there. Not for the first time, he thought of how his father had lived here as well.

 

"I think I know what you mean. I wonder what it would have been like if Bolin and I had grown up here instead."

 

Wu broke eye contact with the city and stretched his arms out, "I couldn't tell you. I spent most of my time just reading stories about it."

 

"In history books or cheap romance novels?"

 

Wu hid his grin behind a coy hand, "You know me too well! Don't underestimate the beauty of a cheap romance novel though, my stern friend. You'd be surprised at the raw emotion of affordable fiction! In fact-"

 

Wu pulled a worn out paperback out of the large and expensive purse he took everywhere with him, and placed it on the table. Mako picked it up off his crumpled napkin, fingers grazing the wrinkled cover. There was a beautiful woman standing in what looked like the center of an affluent but old fashioned Earth Kingdom city, with an ominous mountain in the distance behind her.

 

"This one isn't set in Ba Sing Se, but it's good for a beginner. It's about a young woman who falls in love with the nature spirit of the active volcano near her town! Their love is sacred- but the local fortune-teller warns her that it can only end in tragedy! It's a real page-turner! You should try it."

 

Mako traced his thumb over the rough texture of the cover where the gloss had been worn down, "If I have time. I didn't know you read so much."

 

"Ah, reading isn't quite the most charming thing about me, so I try to keep it on the down-low from the public. I kept all of my old favorites, so if you end up liking this one and want to read some more, let me know."

 

The waiter came by to take their order before Mako could respond.

 

***

 

Wu picked food off Mako's plate and offered him a sip of his tea, which had a hill of whipped cream on it. Mako tried it and found it much too sweet, and for the rest of the meal couldn't bring himself to say anything important.

 

Wu paid the bill ('in exchange for getting the reservation!') and they left. They walked back to their townhouse, Wu humming and Mako silent, all the way to the door. With mechanic movements, he unlocked it and they stepped inside. They both changed out of their clothes, said goodnight, and Mako laid in bed and decided he'd just never tell Wu anything about the conversation he'd had with Bolin for as long as they lived.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for some reason thinking of that sign that says 'MAY YOU BLESSED BY THE AVATAR'S LOVE' is like. so funny to me idk. also the girl in the book that wu lends him is supposed to be an allusion to meng, the girl from the fortune-teller episode! once she's grown up, of course


	3. Chapter 3

"Bolin told me about Wu. Tell me, Mako. Do you have some happy news for your grandmother?"

 

"Gran, that's- he shouldn't have- please!" He glanced at Wu, safely ten seats away from him in his family's crowded dining room. The sound of talking, laughing, arguing, and plates moving were too loud for him to overhear, but he had to be safe. The number one rule was to always play it safe.

 

"Mako, it's okay if you can't tell anyone the official dates yet. Just keep me updated so I know how long I need to live so see my grandson marry into royalty."

 

"Gran!"

 

"I'm kidding! It's okay not to be serious all the time, sweetie."

 

"You dying is kind of a serious thing!"

 

The room went silent. Mako had been a little louder than he'd intended. Murmuring started up, followed by a rumble of concerned voices.

 

"Dying?"

 

"Gran?"

 

"Sis, are you okay?"

 

"Gran!"

 

"Mako, don't yell at your grandmother!"

 

Yin, smiling peacefully, slammed a hand down on the table. The room went quiet again.

 

"I'm fine. Mako was just confused. Please, everyone, go back to eating!" The hustle of the room returned and the moment of panic was forgotten. Mako sank down into his seat.

 

"Sorry for yelling, Gran."

 

"It's okay. But he does seem like a sweet, educated boy," she paused with a radiant expression in time for them both to hear Wu snort with laughter from across the room, "and a former prince is just a short step down from marrying the Avatar!"

 

***

 

Wu had no idea why Mako seemed so unsure about visiting his family. They were all extremely gracious, the food was simpler than he was used to but delicious (as he made sure to tell Mako's great uncle, the chef), and Bolin spent the dinner telling his cousins and Wu all the impressive stories he could about his older brother.

 

"Oh, that reminds me of another one- Wu, you'll like this- one time me and Mako, we were supposed to meet someone somewhere for-" he paused, "something completely legal, and we had to get there totally in the dark. No streetlights, right? Mako and I had scoped out the area earlier in the day so we'd know how to get to the warehouse, even though we couldn't see. We had practiced walking there blindfolded, just to be safe! But then Mako fell down a manhole that hadn't been open during the day."

 

His cousins laughed, but Wu found himself raising a worried hand to his heart, "What happened next?"

 

"Huh? Oh he was fine. We got to the meeting on time, but everybody kept complaining about how awful he smelled. Wait, where I was going with this story?"

 

The cousin with strong opinions on fruit (Wu had never been good with names, which was always a diplomatic nightmare) spoke up , "A lot of these stories involve you guys doing completely legal things and Mako falling down stuff." His voice was neither judgmental or curious. It was not a conversation about fruit or muscles, so Wu assumed the young man was simply trying to pretend he cared about it.

 

Bolin raised a corrective hand in the air, "Not always falling! There was that time he set his own pants on fire by accident. Or when he lied about being able to drive a boat! Wow, that did not end well. By the way, please do not tell Gran any of these stories. Oh! I have a really good story about Mako thinking he could hide smuggled phoenix chili peppers in his mouth. Six of them? Maybe five. We had to go to the hospital-"

 

Wu jumped in before Bolin could fondly remember something else, "You know, I never imagined Mako was capable of being so incompetent."

 

Bolin froze, hands still stuck in a sort of 'imagine flames literally coming out of his mouth' gesture, "Well. He did a lot of cool stuff too. I mean, uh, he pretty much raised me since we were little. Oh! And there was this one time with a pythonanaconda-"

 

Wu nodded and listened, but spared a glance towards Mako across the room. He was blushing deeply about something while talking to that kind and charitable grandmother of his. It was good to hear these stories and see his red face, and know his bodyguard was not a total stick in the mud. It was cute.

 

Wu blinked politely while staring into Bolin's face as he explained the rules of underground fight rings. Wu rewound the last thought he'd had, examined it, and internally shrugged. It was true that Mako was pretty cute, wasn't it? It was objectively true that his bodyguard, scowling or not, was pleasant to look upon. Wu's option now was to continue thinking about what that meant, or to continue his life happily ignoring it. While deciding between the two, Mako shouted something about his grandmother dying, and in the ensuing panic he forgot about the stream of thought entirely.

 

***

 

After dessert, the younger generation of the family filed out onto the courtyard balconies of the apartment building for their nightly fraternization with the other tenants. The older folks stayed inside, putting the youngest children to bed or discussing business. Bolin had already rushed out and was showing Pabu to a group of brothers on the second floor by the time Mako and Wu got to the door.

 

The building was new- Yin had insisted early on that the Sato estate was only a temporary fix, and as soon as their neighborhood was rebuilt, they would return as a family. Their neighbors had returned as well, and the consensus was that the building was almost a perfect replica except the boards creaked less, the paint color was three shades off, and the bannisters were made of metal instead of oak.

 

The former prince and his bodyguard hovered near the door. Mako was surprised.

 

"Wu? You don't want to go socialize?"

 

"Nah. I wouldn't want to steal the spotlight. Bolin seems happy though."

 

Wu was looking at the courtyard below them. Mako leaned over the bannister and saw Bolin talking to a girl about their age. By their stances and the rocks hovering in the air, as well as the audience gathering around them, he guessed they were exchanging earth bending techniques. Mako smiled in the way he did only rarely; distracted by something enough that his whole body visibly relaxed. 

 

Wu felt a pang of happiness for him; it was as if fate was making up for Mako only having his brother for so many years by suddenly dumping a small village of relatives on him all at once. Wu's own family had distanced itself from him, although there had already been such a gulf between that it was really hardly noticeable. Sometimes he had to go meet with them or read their angry mail, but that could be shrugged off like so many other things. For now, he let himself enjoy the gentleness in Mako's voice when he spoke while looking at his brother.

 

"We didn't grow up with a lot of kids our age. I didn't mind, but I think it was rough on him."

 

"Ah, yes. He was telling me about some of the completely legal things you two used to do."

 

They watched in silence as the girl and Bolin simultaneously raised perfectly square blocks of earth from the ground.

 

"… About all that stuff… we were kids. Please don't tell Chief Bei Fong about any of it. Or Gran."

 

"Of course! I was just happy to learn something about my mysterious bodyguard."

 

They watched for a few more seconds as the girl, with Bolin tentatively following her lead, did a few quick movements. Their blocks of earth shattered into dust. Mako's head suddenly sank between his shoulders.

 

"He told you about the manhole thing, didn't he?"

 

"If it makes you feel better, I was very impressed with your dedication to preparing. Blindfolded?"

 

Mako dragged his hands down his face, but his voice had the hint of a shy laugh to it, "You never know what's going to get you through the job."

 

They watched as Bolin and the girl ended their lesson by respectfully bowing, before proceeding to throw dirt at each other. Fruit Cousin yelled something that sounded like 'fight!' and suddenly the courtyard was a cloud of dirt and yelling as the audience chose sides. Mako laughed and Wu moved closer to him to be heard over the tumult below them, keeping his voice as light as possible.

 

"It can't have only been hard on Bolin."

 

Mako's laugh disappeared and he bit his lip, "It really wasn't a big deal."

 

"Look, I already know you're my tough guy, so you can put away the tough guy act. I heard enough stories in the last hour to assume it was kind of a big deal."

 

Mako moved away from the bannister and turned his back to him, the tense lines of his body already visible again, "Fine! It was hard losing both my parents and having to raise my brother alone when I was still just a kid, okay? In case that wasn't already obvious."

 

Wu realized he had nothing eloquent to say- why had he pressed the issue in the first place?

 

"I'm… sorry," it was all he could think of. If it had been a few months ago, he would have just responded to the guilt by having someone send a gift basket or two, maybe even a full set of jewelry. Then he would have given himself a pat on the back and maybe a new island house for being so thoughtful. Then he would forget about it in an hour.

 

He couldn't do that kind of thing anymore, especially not to Mako. Although he might send his grandmother a necklace just for the hell of it. Mako sighed and turned around, voice calmer.

 

"Yeah. Okay. It's fine. I mean it's not but. I know you were just concerned."

 

Is that what it was? This itch that had been under Wu's skin since Kuvira? He was certain concern felt different from the warmth that glowed in his face whenever Mako looked at him with something that wasn't annoyance or exhaustion. Mako looked bashful at the moment, eyes glancing up from his feet to Wu in small, sharp movements. Someone below in the courtyard gave a shriek of laughter and Wu resisted hushing them. He was trying to be deep in thought.

 

Wu definitely felt concern for Mako at the moment when he had pried too far, and when he had apologized. This was true. It had started with the concern that Mako was hurting ever since his life of 'completely legal things' and pretending that it was okay to let things quietly keep hurting him. But there was something else Wu felt. Was he hungry? No, they'd just eaten. He'd slept well the night before, he had been keeping hydrated. So why these little moments where his stomach felt like it was falling down an elevator shaft? Was this some of kind of food poisoning?

 

He could sense Mako trying to get his attention, but he was too busy remembering something he'd read in one of his books. It had been one of the more forgettable ones, _Ashes Under Roses,_ but it had a certain line to it, when the heroine was asking her mother about love. _If you're unsure about love, look at the moon. Then look at the object of your affection. If you're in love, both will delight you in the same way. That is the symptom of true romance._

 

Corny, but worth a shot.

 

"Wu?"

 

He ran back to the railing and squinted at the moon; it was an awkwardly swollen thing, a little over half full. But it was so bright! How had he never noticed before how wonderful it was? He'd seen thousands of perfectly formed pearls over his life, but the moon, bloated above him, was truly divine. _There was a rumor that the famous Sokka once kissed the moon…_

 

"Wu!"

 

He turned to look at Mako, who looked concerned. Concern! That feeling again. And then here Wu was with that Other Feeling, as if someone had taken his intestines and dropped them over the balcony four stories down into the dirt fight still happening below. But in a good way, because despite all he'd experienced in luxury and recreation, it seemed a specific blessing whenever Mako said his name. He was surprised he could still speak.

 

"Yes?"

 

"You were scaring me for a second. You got this weird look on your face."

 

"My sincere apologies! I just remembered a horoscope of mine! It specified a full moon though, so no worries yet!"

 

Mako narrowed his eyes at him, but left it alone. Wu just had to maintain his unfairly good acting skills for the rest of the night, for the rest of the week, for the rest of their lives. Mako- sweet, naive, clueless Mako- would never know that the former prince was possibly and most definitely hopelessly-

 

Well. It didn't matter.

 

******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> making up titles for fake romance novels is my favorite thing in the world this whole fic is just an excuse for me to do that


	4. Chapter 4

The next day consisted of official business. Wu had to help decide how the palace would be used, now that he no longer planned on owning it. They walked the grounds together, and Wu would sign off on a clipboard with recommendations of which piece of land should go where. 

 

The palace would become a public building for representatives and would communally house multiple families of city officials: the serving staff and groundkeepers could continue their employment. The gardens would become public, as would the library which would also serve as a small museum of any royal items that had not been auctioned off yet. The townhouses on palace property, including the one that they'd both been temporarily living in, would be rented out to wealthy tourists. The money would go to continuing reform in the lower ring. 

 

Wu was about to sign off on the last thing, a long courtyard named after the former Earth King's bear, when a sharp icicle almost flew through his head. The only reason it disappeared in a hiss of steam was Mako's last-second reaction and a well-aimed punch. They looked up to a nearby roof in time to see just a flash of movement. Mako pressed a button on his radio that alerted the guards, but whoever it was, they were probably already gone.

 

Wu looked back at the clipboard, gave one last wobbly signature, and then collapsed to the ground. He gave a hysterical little laugh from where he was starting to curl up against a giant flower pot.

 

"Mako. Mako. Mako, that was a close one, that wasn't a pie, isn't it weird how sharp water is when you make it colder? That was real right? I'm not overreacting?" 

 

Mako knelt down next to him, "That was real. Are you okay? I'll put out an official security notice, but I think they're gone now." His hand found its way to Wu's shoulder, and his voice was quiet enough that he could hear his own heart beating urgently. It had been too real. It had almost been real enough that if he hadn't reacted in time-

 

"It's my family. An uncle, or an aunt or someone, who wants me dead. I'm throwing away everything we have and they want me to stop," Wu had tears in his eyes, and Mako wanted to tell him he was wrong, but it was probably true. He reached out and wiped a tear off Wu's cheek, who watched his hand with wide eyes before sniffling and wiping his other eye with a handkerchief he'd pulled out of some unseen pocket. 

 

"I can't blame them."

 

Mako's hand froze momentarily before resting firmly on Wu's shoulder, "For hiring someone to kill you? Trust me, you can blame them for that." Wu gave a hiccup of a laugh. His breathing was still unsteady. In the back of his mind, Mako thought idly about burning down palaces.

 

"I wonder who did it. I mean, it could be more than one person I guess. Maybe my Aunt Li, she never liked me. Maybe she and my cousin Gao split the bill on it, have to be thrifty now that I'm selling all their stuff!" Another nervous laugh.

 

Mako resisted his initial urge to ask where either of those two people lived and squeezed his shoulder instead, "We'll find out."

 

"What if they're right though? Maybe I'm not doing the right thing. Kuvira thought she was doing the right thing and people got hurt. What if things just get worse?" 

 

It was strange to hear Wu to sound so tired and unsure. Mako gave one last look around the premise, and then pulled Wu up by the elbow.

 

"Kuvira got it wrong because she didn't question herself and things got violent. Everything you've done so far has gone pretty smoothly. If the only people really upset by your decisions are a bunch of spoiled royalty, then you're probably doing something right… no offense. And things can't get much worse than a giant cannon almost destroying the whole city."

 

Wu still had to lean against his shoulder to keep himself standing, but his voice sounded lighter, "You really think so? You're not just lying to make me feel better?"

 

"I mean it." He did. That cannon had been absolutely awful.

 

"Huh. Well... I trust your opinion! Maybe I'll start asking around though just to make sure. You know, I should even check in on Kuvira! The whole 'full perspective' thing that I've heard so much about."

 

Mako let Wu lean on him and continue thinking aloud while they cautiously walked back to palace security headquarters.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when you're trying to do something nice and someone throws an icicle at your face smh


	5. Chapter 5

It was their last night in Ba Sing Se thankfully, and Mako stared at the ceiling listening to Wu's whistling snores. He thought about how he should tell him. 

 

Bolin had stopped by earlier to say;

 

"Grandma says hi and thank you for visiting earlier. She really liked the royal heirloom Wu had sent to her but I think that necklace is never coming off her body and it's very heavy, we're a little worried about her neck but, wow, is that woman both emotionally and physically strong. Also, I think you should tell Wu the thing if you haven't already told Wu the thing. Also thank Wu for me for the little coat for Pabu, he looks really cute in it. And- oh hey, Wu! How are you? Has Mako talked to you yet about-"

 

At that point, Mako had yelled a friendly goodbye and slammed the door in his brother's face.

 

And then there was still the matter of any follow-up assassination attempts.

 

Mako ended up getting out of bed. He spent the night outside on the porch steps, reading the novel Wu lent him, with a blanket and a little bit of fire in his hand for a light. _Love Beneath a Sky of Red._ It was actually pretty good.

***

 

Wu was quiet on the airship back. The only time he spoke up was when Mako came to bring him some food. 

 

Wu had been sitting at a table, staring out the window as they passed over the countryside. The railroad could be seen below, straight as an arrow through the winding hills, although it was currently closed due to repairs after a rather large explosion that Bolin had once tried to explain to Mako as ' just a fun little escape plan of Varrick's'.

 

"Didn't you used to have a scarf? Really bright red?"

 

"Uh, yeah. I gave it to my grandmother though. It was my dad's..."

 

"Oh!"

 

There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Wu sat up and raised his hand in a sign of patience before walking to his luggage. He rummaged through it and pulled out a gold scarf.

 

"Remember when I used to wear this? I haven't in awhile. You can have it."

 

He put it Mako's hands. It was softer than any clothing he owned; he could tell it must have been outrageously expensive. He was touched, but also a little uncertain. Wu had gotten rid of a massive portion of his belongings already. If he had bothered keeping this scarf, it had to have been for a reason.

 

"Are you sure?" 

 

"Yeah, it's fine. I want you to have it."

 

"Wu… thank you."

 

"No trouble! You really did save my life back there, and a few times before that, and I mean, I do pay you but you deserve a nice gift! Trust me, I own a million scarves like that, and I can't have my big guy getting cold in the middle of saving me, you know?"

 

"Uh, sure," Mako stood there for a few more moments before turning to leave the room, but suddenly Wu stood up. They faced each other.

 

"And it's normal for people to give things to people they care about, right?"

 

"Care about?" 

 

Mako wondered, in the safe-at-all-costs part of his brain, if he could survive jumping through the airship window. Did Wu know? Had he done something obvious? Wu watched him for a moment, before sitting back down again at the small table. He went back to looking out the window.

 

"Yeah! As friends. You know... Bros."

 

Mako forced a laugh and tried not to run through the door.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when you're trying to romance your bud but you panic at the last second and bro-zone him... harsh, dude


	6. Chapter 6

They arrived home safely. Mako unpacked their bags, looked around at the apartment they shared, and decided he should probably get to the point before an especially sharp point got to Wu (he regretted the metaphor; the mental image made him wince and his stomach churn.) The worst thing that could happen was that Wu would fire him, and they would never see each other again. As much as that thought surprisingly hurt, it couldn't' be put off any longer.

 

"Wu, there's something I have to tell you."

 

"Wonderful, Mako, but first there's some things I have to ask you, because I'm going through all my clothing and I just need an opinion I can trust. I mean, I can always trust your fashion advice to be wrong, but hey! That means I just do the opposite. Now; do you hate this coat? Because I love it." They'd been back for ten minutes, and Wu was already talking in a constant stream of distracted nonsense, and had rarely stopped moving.

 

"It's fine- well it's a little too brightly colored- I mean-" Mako made a disgusted noise and took the coat out of Wu's hands and threw it on the hotel chair, "I'm serious! I have to tell you something."

 

Wu had enough dignity to look put out, but he moved the coat out of the way and sat down, legs crossed and hands folded on his knees primly. It was the first time he'd sat perfectly still since they'd returned home. 

 

"Fine. I'm listening."

 

Mako deflated. He suddenly wanted a distracted Wu again, one who wouldn't hear him and wouldn't take him seriously if he did. Instead he had his unexpectedly full attention. It was horrifying. His palms were sweating and Wu looked absolutely composed. Mako was still wearing the scarf he'd given him, and now it felt uncomfortably warm and tight around his neck.

 

"I like you."

 

Wu's mouth contorted a little as if he was getting something out of his teeth. The hair on the back of Mako's neck stood up. Wu got up from the chair and stretched, clearly bored, before walking back to his dresser to pull out clothes. His voice was more monotone than usual.

 

"Of course you like me, Mako. I'm a very likable man."

 

And with that, Mako could snap back into some sense of normalcy, which involved yelling, "What kind of response is that?"

 

Wu's hand paused over a drawer, and he responded flatly, "I don't have time for jokes."

 

The normalcy disappeared as fast is it had come. Mako remembered for the second time within the last week that the prince was vulnerable, despite the show and despite the bodyguard. In fact, the bodyguard was probably just making things worse at the moment.

 

So Mako made sure his steps were gentle and slow as he walked over to where Wu stood by the dresser, refolding pants that Mako had thrown in the drawers minutes ago. They were not the steps of a Republic City police officer or a pro-bender. They were the steps of someone who had learned fire bending as carefully as possible for fear of hurting someone if he moved too fast or too recklessly. He had been so young and haunted by thoughts of his parents, by the weight of his brother, that he had forced himself to balance his ambition with patience when he was still just a child. It was with a patience he'd forgotten he'd still had for the last few years, when he put his hand on Wu's shoulder and spoke in a gentle voice.

 

"I'm not joking."

 

The room was quiet, and Wu had stopped refolding the same pair of pants. Without turning to look, his hand slowly came up to his own shoulder. There was a moment of hesitation and then it was there, a soft and reassuringly solid palm against Mako's knuckles. He felt some relief at knowing Wu's hands were sweaty too.

 

"Wu."

 

He turned around, letting Mako's hand fall off his shoulder. He wasn't grinning or panicking, which were the two expressions Mako was used to seeing on him. He just looked a little sad and curious. Mako found his own chest puffing up and his face burning. His voice came out louder than he intended; he'd never been able to hold back that part of himself that well. He had a faint memory of his mother telling him, full of pride; _you speak your mind because you have fire in your heart. You and me, Bolin too, have to let it come out or it will burn us up inside._

 

"Look, I don't know how to say this, but. You make me happy? I feel like I've messed this up. I should have just said it on the ship- I wasn't gonna bother but then back at the palace, when you almost- I should have asked someone other than Bolin for help, yikes, I, Wu, I-"

 

"You like me," Wu's voice was calm.

 

"Yeah. Yeah. I like you," Mako was surprised that he had to resist moving toward Wu at this declaration, and he folded his hands behind his back to keep them from reaching out. He let Wu look at him, and could feel his eyes narrow and search his face. 

 

Wu's posture finally relaxed, though his face was a little incredulous.

 

"Mako. You actually do like me."

 

"Uh, yeah, that's kind of why I've said it, twice now," Mako gave an awkward laugh.

 

"Well. In that case I'll say it twice too: I'm a very likable man," Wu's voice had regained the smallest lilt to it. Mako had resigned himself to staring nervously as his feet, but he could feel Wu step closer, until his face was angled close beneath his own. Wu was smiling coyly, but his eyes were soft. Still cautious.

 

Mako felt like he should say something clever in response, but he also felt like it had already been a stressful enough conversation and he shouldn't risk it. His hand reached up to Wu's face and with the slightest nudge under his chin, Wu tilted his head in just the right way that if Mako tilted the other direction-

 

The door slammed open.

 

"Mako! Bro, I just got back from Ba Sing Se! Chief Bei Fong said something about an assassination attempt, are you guys alright- oh! Oh no. Did I interrupt something?"

 

"Bolin! Dude, get out!"

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE MYSELF. THIS IS SO LONG WHO AM I


	7. Chapter 7

"So. Did you want to talk about our little moment back in the apartment?"

 

After Bolin had ran from their doorway yelling apologies repeatedly down the hallway, Mako had made a lot of vague coughing noises and mentioned something about getting fresh air. A few minutes later, they were outside, a couple of blocks from the apartment, sitting on a street bench. 

 

"Yeah."

 

"Hopefully your brother won't interrupt again."

 

Hypothetical scenarios of comets, assassins, tourists, and divine intervention interrupting them instead flashed through Mako's head, "Yeah."

 

"Well? Aren't you going to finish seducing me?"

 

Wu's voice was teasing, and Mako could feel his face turning red even as smirked back at him, "Finish? Back up in the room it looked to me like it was game, set, and match."

 

Wu pouted at him even as he scooted closer and let Mako's arm drape naturally over his shoulders, "What a bold thing to say to former royalty! You should know, I require a proper courting." 

 

"What about me? Who says I don't get a proper courting too? Besides, I was the only who did any confessing up there. That seems a little one-sided."

 

"I was too surprised to say anything! It was the first time you've actually shown good taste. And I mean, I did give you a royal heirloom," Wu's fingers hooked on the scarf around his neck and tugged. Mako couldn't believe Wu was better than him at keeping a straight face. He could only ignore his own blushing as he pretended he wasn't as flattered as he was. 

 

"Let's be real. You only kept this scarf in the first place because it matched my eyes."

 

Wu finally seemed embarrassed, and shifted and muttered something from under his arm; Mako felt a childish sense of glee that apparently this really was the reason Wu had kept it. Mako had missed this kind of easy, competitive flirting. He had only ever been really good at it in the ring during pro-bending games, winking and taunting at the fighter across from him. It felt weird to do it in public like a normal person. It felt good. His face was on fire and he was smirking like a complete tool.

 

"What was that, Wu? Did you say something?"

 

"I said that I also like you. Clean out your ears, man, yikes."

 

It was such a petulant response and Wu wouldn't even make eye contact with him, that Mako found himself laughing instead of annoyed. Any second he was sure this unfamiliar airborne feeling would leave him alone with his usual self, but for the moment he was just happy to have felt it at all. Wu just glared at him.

 

"What's so funny?"

 

"You! The one time I want you to be loud and obnoxious and you put on a quiet act. You're absolutely ridiculous," he stopped laughing and saw that Wu was now smiling grudgingly at him, and before he could really question it, they were kissing in broad daylight. 

 

Anyone walking by, even a coworker or Chief Bei Fong herself, could have seen them. Mako just found it kind of funny. Everything, in a pleasant way, seemed hilarious. Wu was practically in his lap and it was terrible, he hated public displays of affection, he had hated this guy just a few years ago, but at the same time he couldn't imagine doing anything better.

 

Wu was the one who pulled away first, a little out of breath, "You really want to hear it, Mako? Fine. I think you're great. I think you're one of the only genuine people I've ever had in my life. Nobody talked to me or looked at me or treated me like a real person except you. You're awkward but it's cute. You're brave. And I don't feel like I have to put on a show for you. When I act happy around you, for once it's actually because I feel happy and not because I'm trying to pretend I know what I'm doing. I never know what I'm doing! But I think it's beautiful when you fire bend, but I get worried whenever I see you do the lightning trick. You're a good bodyguard. You're very attractive, and uh, your lap is very supportive. And I guess you're a good kisser for a boring nerd."

 

Mako's head was spinning. All he could really focus on was a feeling of surprise; that he cared this much about what Wu thought of him, that it made him so happy, that he would like Wu to write everything he had just said down at some point in very large print on a sign, so that Mako could point at it whenever he liked when they were arguing together in their room. 

 

"Our room. I mean- I- we should go back. Inside. Privacy."

 

Wu sounded amused, which was a relief after the past week, "You okay there, Mako?"

 

He had trouble standing up for a second, but otherwise, he was completely fine.

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're EMBARRASSING oh my GOD


	8. Chapter 8

They had pressed their beds together after a month of awkwardly trying to do rather complicated things on a single twin sized mattress (the first month involved falling off said mattress many times), and Wu was pressed against his side trying to explain a series of books that were sprawled out in front of them. It was their first day off since coming back to Republic City, and they'd spent most of it in bed. Mako was distracted by how soft Wu's hair was when he combed through it with his hand.

 

"Hey, lover boy! Focus, I'm only gonna explain the flaws of _A Pauper Among River Maidens_ once, because it's my favorite and it pains me to say anything bad about it, even if it's all true," Wu batted away Mako's hand as it tapped its way lightly down his spine, "First of all, there's a whole chapter about sewage systems that you're just going to have to deal with-" 

 

"You could always explain this to me later."

 

"Or you could cool down and stop whispering in my ear for a few seconds and let me do this. Remember Meng from _Love Under a Red Sky_?"

 

Mako stopped and pulled back, "Yeah, of course I do. Wait, is she in this book?"

 

"No, but her son is in it!"

 

They ended up reading the first ten pages before Wu decided they should take a break between chapters.

 

***

The chief had wanted to speak to him.

 

She was sitting at her desk in that grey, windowless metal office of hers. All the steel matched her perfectly, from her hair to her expression. 

 

"Mako. Sit down."

 

He sat, and watched her sneer at a piece of paper before signing it and putting it on a pile of other disappointing reports. She then put the pen down and squared her shoulders. Her awkward, professional posture mirrored his own. She continued to say nothing.

 

"Did you... need something, Chief?"

 

"I heard you and Former Prince Wu are now a couple."

 

Bolin. 

 

"I- Yes. You heard correctly.

 

"And you're happy with this arrangement?"

 

That surprised him. He had expected her to be angry, and to lecture him on fraternizing before ordering him to break things off or quit his position. He had, with resignation, partially expected her to immediately fire him. He answered firmly.

 

"Yes."

 

"And Wu?"

 

"He's also happy," As far as he could tell; there was a list of evidence he could run through, but it was nothing he really wanted to lay out in front of his boss.

 

"But I mean, is he treating you well?"

 

Another surprise.

 

"Chief?"

 

She leaned back in her stiff and pragmatically plain chair, "After seeing my sister, and her family, I looked at my own life. I realized that you kids are… if you and your brother ever need anything, you know where I am."

 

Mako felt touched. There had been underhanded people in gang life who had shown him spare kindnesses, and Toza had pulled him out of a terrible life and expected nothing in return. The first time he and his brother had slept over at his grandmother's, he had woken with a cup of hot tea on the bedside. Yet he never saw an older version of himself reflected back in any of it; he felt disconnected from the gamblers' sneers or Toza's grizzled charisma or his grandmother's constant smiles. Only in Bei Fong had he seen a possible future for someone like himself. Not necessarily joyous or beloved, but strong. A rock worn down but not moved.

 

Outwardly, he continued to sit upright in his seat, at attention. He saluted as gratefully as he could.

 

"Chief... Thank you."

 

"Don't sweat it, kid. Also, here are some condoms Pema gave me. She said I should give them to you. Uh, be safe and all that."

 

Mako still had his hand to his forehead as he looked down at the condoms she had slid across the desk. 

 

"… Thank you."

 

"Sure. Dismissed."

***

He met Varrick in the bar they'd agreed on. It was uptown and new, with a weird hyper-futuristic theme that required a lot of chrome and glowing wires hanging like streamers wherever possible. Drinks were incredibly overpriced and there were no visible emergency exits. It was past closing time and thankfully vacated except the two of them and the bartender. Predictably, Varrick confessed that he owned it. Mako, ironically, thought it was a complete fire hazard. 

 

They had agreed to hang out, at the interest of both parties getting some time away from their significant others. Wu was under the safe companionship of Zhu Li (and several temporary guards from both the police department and Varrick's private force), probably soaking next to each other in warm mud somewhere. Meanwhile, Varrick was laughing in Mako's face.

 

"You asked me to tell you what my sex life was like. You could at least keep a straight face."

 

"Can you blame me, kid? The first thing you tell me about is an awkward hand-"

 

"Can you keep your voice down?"

 

Varrick slapped him on the back, only laughing louder, "Young people are adorable. Wow! Congratulations though, kid. Soon you'll be getting married and throwing your back out on your honeymoon. Avatar Aang himself should cover his ears if I ever tell you some of the stuff we did-"

 

"Married?"

 

"Well yeah! Unless that's not your _vibe_ as the kids say. Have we replaced marriage with something else yet? No? I'll look into that. But otherwise why not! You've already been together for a few years!"

 

"I was his _bodyguard_ for a few years."

 

"Yeah, and now you're just guarding that body in a few new ways, HEY-O!" Varrick leaned off his barstool to high five the bartender, who wore sunglasses that wrapped around his head completely and seemed to have no idea what they were talking about.

 

Mako let it go and just signaled for another drink. He and Wu had been… intimate for a few months now. By intimate, he was counting since they had first started sleeping in the same bed together, with Wu's tiny, sleeping, wiry body rolling and flinging itself around. After a few nights, it didn't even keep Mako awake- in the morning he'd find himself with Wu's leg across his neck or his whole body stretched perpendicular over his own, and he'd just gently push the limbs aside and get dressed. 

 

When he and Korra had lived together, they had shared a bed (when they were both even in town for the night) and done some stuff a few times. It always seemed to end with someone accidentally elbowing or kneeing someone else in the face or worse, followed by a lot of yelling. Almost everything between him and Korra had ended with yelling. He'd mentally nursed a silent, guilt-ridden hope that everything was going well with Asami and her.

 

He downed his second drink and remembered when he'd woken up for the first time with Wu's arm wrapped around him, curled against Mako's back, rather than vice versa. Mako had discovered many things about himself, but he had been surprised that he'd ever let himself be held so protectively. It had been nice though, to have Wu's warm breath snoring against the crevasse between his shoulder blades, and to have someone's hand pressed assuringly against his sternum. 

 

Marriage was still absolutely out of the question. At least for the near future. Varrick's voice interrupted his thoughts.

 

"Hey, how did you two even end up together?"

 

"They chose me as his bodyguard because we're similar ages-"

 

"Mako. Don't patronize me."

 

"I confessed after a close call on an assassination attempt, and then we made out on a bench."

 

Varrick slammed his glass down on the counter, "Romantic! You know, I could put some magic on this story and make it a hit mover! Imagine; a tough, no-nonsense fire bender falling in love with the former prince he's sworn to protect! Wait. Did I already make something like that? Whatever, I'll throw a few giant monsters in it and nobody will notice."

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I MAKE A CAMEO AS VARRICK, AKA SOMEONE OBNOXIOUS AND RUDE AND ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT OF IT. also the 'whole chapter about sewage systems' thing is me just trying to sneak a dig in at les miserable in the middle of this giant wuko fic


	9. Chapter 9

The next assassination attempt was a jagged piece of metal that almost found its way to Wu's chest. Mako had pulled him out the way, and they had waited tensely in an alley, dusk setting quietly around them as Satomobiles continued passing through the street. They had made it home, and in their bathroom Wu had cleaned and bandaged Mako's hand clumsily where the metal had managed to carve against his knuckles, forcing cheerful nonsense to come out of his mouth. Mako had woken up that night panicked, because with his bandaged hand around Wu's waist he'd dreamed for a moment that they were still back on the sidewalk, interrupted while arguing about whether smoothies were really even that healthy.

 

It was unsurprising that the peaceful lull after that second attempt was only due to the fact that someone somewhere had decided it made strategic sense to kill Wu's bodyguard before killing Wu. Mako (who had once been so good at thinking ahead) only realized this once they were walking out of the laundromat one night, complete in their thin and half-indecent laundry day clothes, and a second later Wu had pushed him to the ground. Their newly cleaned clothing spilled out of the basket he'd been carrying, and into the gutter.

 

His first thought was honestly to turn around and yell at Wu to cut out whatever exaggerated antic he was pulling, because Mako had finally been tricked into believing he was a safe person, with a safe, normal life. He'd believed he'd become one of those adults who had lived in a comfortable world he had found increasingly strange and impossible since the day his parents had died. Small annoyances and pleasures; stains in the carpet, waking up to the smell of coffee, an air conditioner that was too loud, amusing Wu with little fire bending tricks when they were bored, setting off the smoke alarm on accident and causing the whole building to evacuate, reading in bed, Wu's terrible singing pissing off their neighbors- it had all edged out any real fears. Turning to see Wu lying, trembling on the ground, reminded him.

 

He was hardly aware of the movements that brought him to Wu's side, kneeling down next to him and propping him against his bent knee. There was a red line across his right cheek that was starting to drip. Mako let out a sigh of relief; deep enough to scar, shallow enough that it didn't matter. He checked their surroundings- again, a body disappearing along a roof. He waited, but nothing came and he let himself breathe. His voice was furious.

 

"What the hell was that?"

 

"I saw something coming at you… another icicle maybe? And now here we are. Wu down!" Wu tried to smile despite the way he shook in Mako's hands. It was probably fear and weak knees that caused him to collapse rather than the actual blow. 

 

"No, I mean why the hell did you jump in front of it?"

 

"Because it was going to hit you! Why shouldn't I have jumped?" Wu's voice was suddenly stronger. He was still leaning his head against Mako's knee and staring up at him, but now it was with an affronted hand to his heart.

 

"Wu, I'm the one who jumps in front of things. Not you."

 

"Um, excuse me, but why can't it be both of us?"

 

"You want to be my bodyguard?"

 

"I want to take care of you."

 

Wu flinched a little at his own words, as if choosing to be vulnerable was still a surprise sometimes. 

 

Mako gave a quick precautionary glance towards his torso in case he missed something and Wu was actually dying in his arms. He wasn't. Another quick glance around to make sure the assassin was gone. They were. Then he lifted a hand to Wu's face and wiped the blood swelling on his cheek gently with the bottom edge of his white shirt. It would stain. Wu winced a little but his expression relaxed and he stared up at him, almost defiantly, waiting for a response. Mako decided it was safe to say out loud.

 

"I want to take care of you too, dude."

 

Wu furrowed his eyebrows. Then laughed at him. Right to his face, with Mako's hand still on his cheek. He was still smiling when Mako leaned down to kiss him.

 

***

 

It was their last night in the apartment together. 

 

Chief Bei Fong, with her typical coldness, had informed Mako two weeks ago that three attempts on the former prince's life were too many, especially considering that Mako had failed to catch the assassin every time. Mako would be reinstated honorably on the force. Wu would be assigned a new team of bodyguards. They would be accompanying Wu on a tour of the Earth Republic now that reconstruction on the railway had been completed, and Mako would be staying in Republic City.

 

She had said all of this, handed him some papers to sign and read over, and then covered his hand with her own. It was warmer than the metal of her desk. She had told him she was sorry, but it was for the best. He'd be allowed to train the new team to make sure he trusted them. He and Wu would have time to say goodbye. It was only a temporary separation. She had squeezed his hand when she told him that this was to make sure Wu was as safe as possible; she knew that was the part he needed to hear. That was always the part he needed to hear- from his parents, from himself, from crooked strangers and gym owners and spirited girls and old women- that the people he cared about would above all else, be safe.

 

So now the closet was almost empty without Wu's clothes. Mako was sitting on their bed that was really just two beds pressed together, hunched over with his elbows on his knees. Wu was singing quietly to himself as he folded the last pair of socks, and with a zipper noise that sounded like something tearing, he was done packing. Tomorrow he would leave.

 

Wu stood up, hands on his hips, appraising the wall instead of turning to face Mako.

 

"Wu."

 

"We really should hang something here when I get back. How do you feel about an oil painting of me wearing nothing but rose petals?"

 

"Wu. Look at me."

 

Wu sighed and turned around. He looked miserable.

 

"Mako, what am I gonna do without you? All these new people are gonna hate me like you used to hate me."

 

"I didn't hate you-"

 

"Oh don't lie, I was a brat."

 

"Well, you're not anymore. Don't worry. Just be yourself and they'll warm up to you. I worked with these people and they're really easy-going and friendly."

 

Wu walked over to him, arms crossed, "I don't want easy-going and friendly. I want you."

 

Mako ignored the heat in his face, "Whoa, sounds like someone may still be a bit of a brat. You can't always get what you want. Also you seemed to think I was pretty friendly last night-"

 

Wu huffed, but let his arms fall to his sides, "Oh hush." 

 

He stared out their bedroom window, and Mako turned to look with him. The view of the bay had become familiar. It was already dark out. Their little radio was playing some winding music and he remembered something.

 

"Hey- didn't you want to teach me how to dance once?"

 

Wu's face lit up, and after a few minutes of him positioning Mako's feet and hands, they were stepping in slow, measured circles around their small room, avoiding Wu's pile of suitcases. Mako was surprisingly okay at it because it was almost like fire bending, and Wu was okay at it because his dance instructor had been terrifying. The song ended and Mako's hands were still on Wu's shoulders, and Wu's hands on were still on his waist. After a few commercial breaks, they stopped paying attention much to the steps.

 

"You're gonna be fine, Wu."

 

"I know. I'll miss you though."

 

Mako let his hands move forward until it was his elbows on Wu's shoulders; it ruined all of Wu's instruction but it brought him a little closer. Wu leaned his head against Mako's chest.

 

"You know, Wu, this would be a really good time for you to try to touch my butt and tell me it's a dance move."

 

"Please, I don't have to lie to you if I wanna touch your butt."

 

Mako grinned and ignored the burning in his eyes. Nothing about this situation seemed at all plausible. He was actually sad that Wu was leaving. He was slow dancing with him while making bad jokes. He was embarrassed by his own flirting. Tomorrow he would have to sleep in their pushed together beds alone, and he still felt happier than he'd been in a long time.

 

***

 

The next day he drove Wu to the train station in a patrol car, and they awkwardly embraced as chastely as possible in front of the team of bodyguards. Mako trusted them. He was worried, but that was normal for him, and he knew Wu would come back in a year. The assassins would be apprehended. Meanwhile he'd do his job in Republic City. Maybe hang out with Bolin more, and Korra and Asami once they came back. He had to accept that for once, letting go might be the safest bet.

 

When Wu finally got on the train and looked at him from the window, he was grinning. He seemed terrified and stressed and sad, but determined. He was a different man than the prince he'd met severel years ago. They both knew it would be fine, and Mako could only blame the surge of relief he felt upon realizing that for what he yelled after him as the train started to move.

 

"Stay safe! I love you, man!"

 

He could actually see Wu's face go through the same stages of shock that he could feel simultaneously forming on his own. Then Wu's face broke into an outrageous grin, and Mako could feel his chest tighten even before Wu yelled the words back, leaning out the cabin window and waving.

 

"I love you too! Remember to write, babe!"

 

Mako waved back, and realized he had been jogging after the train ever since it had started moving. He slowed down, and stopped. He laughed when one of the team members pulled Wu inside the cabin to keep him from falling out of it. He laughed about Wu calling him 'babe,' he laughed about the fact that Wu loved him, he laughed about how he was now the kind of person who shouted out declarations after moving trains. He laughed because he already dreaded the drive back to an empty apartment. 

 

In only a year, Wu would be back and annoying him all day with his pleas for attention and his snoring and singing and nagging about how Mako didn't sleep enough or he didn't eat right and 'What would you do without me, Mako? Well, first off you'd dress a lot worse-' and Mako would miss it. But he could be patient. They had time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [FIREWORKS!!!]


End file.
